FINALLY, WE NEEDED THAT
COMPLETE
CHANGE OF CLOTHES
(An Account of Unprecedented Creek Crossings)
BPS members visited a late Cretaceous site in
Montgomery County, Alabama, where we collected primarily
echinoids, gastropods, and a few shark teeth. This trip was a
real adventure!
A week of daily summer rains and pictures from Friday's site
reconnaissance were not enough to daunt those needing a field trip
fix. By mid-day Saturday the water had receded enough to give
hope to those who had been standing on one bank of the creek and
staring longingly at the other bank. There was a spark of
hope.
At lunch it was decided that after a trip to a second site
that enough
time should have passed and the creek could possibly have receded
enough to be crossable.
Steve waded the creek with one end of a 60 ft rope in
hand. Once
tied off on both sides the rope was a sufficient balance for a slow and
steady crossing. There were crossers who faced downstream,
crossers who faced upstream and those who sidestepped their way
across. All present decided to journey to the other
side.
And by my count - taking the rope and escorting 6 people X two = 22
crossings for Steve.
Flood level water the day before washed out good material for
collecting, and yes, we finally needed that change of dry
clothes.
--Edited by Vicki Lais
- - "TALES FROM THE
PAST" BY JAMES
LAMB - -
(Photos
by Nancy
Kenfield and Vicki Lais)